February 2nd, 2021
Our region has 3,136 bridges. That is approximately 1 bridge for every 775 people. There are more bridges in rural areas but higher traffic volumes on bridges in urban areas. A little more than half of U.S. bridges are owned by local agencies, states own about 48% and federal agencies and private entities own the remaining 2%. The bridge owner is typically responsible for maintenance and repair costs. According to Infrastructure Report Card, 4 out of 10 U.S. bridges are over 50 years old, and many bridges need maintenance or to be replaced in the coming years. According to New York Comptroller DiNapoli, in 2017, 12.8% of New York’s local bridges are structurally deficient, meaning they need repairs and may have weight limits. 20.7% of New York bridges are functionally obsolete, meaning the “bridge does not meet current design standards for the amount of traffic it carries.” 2021 is a great time to invest in our infrastructure – it would help our economy recover from the pandemic, create high paying jobs for the some of the hardest hit workers, and ensure future viability of communities.
